Sharon Kay Penman's Blog, page 102

Putting on the Ritz

On December 14, 1553, my favorite French king, Henri of Navarre, was born. If only I’d had nine lives like a cat, I’d have loved to write about him…sigh.
Good news from George RR Martin yesterday; the anthology Dangerous Women has debuted at #18 on the New York Times bestseller list. And the British edition of A King’s Ransom is finally up on Amazon.uk, ready for pre-ordering; the pub date is March 13th.
I posted this link last year, but I have many new Facebook friends since then who may not have seen it. It is, quite simply, the best Flash-mob ever. Take a few minutes to watch as these young Moscow dancers assemble to put on a dazzling performance of Putting on the Ritz, one that even involves a new bride. The sheer delight on the faces of the audience is in itself delightful; I cannot imagine anyone watching this without smiling. Consider it an early Christmas present to my Facebook faithful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXd3w...

An unhappy medieval bride and a book promotion

On December 13, 1470, fourteen year old Anne Neville was wed to the seventeen year old Lancastrian prince, Edward, a marital alliance that was cynical even by medieval standards.
The Northeast is getting another nasty storm this weekend, so all in its path stay warm and safe.
I just discovered that Poisoned Pen Press is currently offering Priscilla Royal's first mystery, Wine of Violence, for a bargain promotional price of 99 cents. Since we are currently offering a free signed copy of Priscilla's newest, Covenant with Hell, in a drawing on my blog, I wanted to mention this, too.
Lastly, Holly seems back to normal after the health scare of last week, so I feel as if I've received an early Christmas present.

Book Giveaway

I’ve noticed this year that when the prices of Lionheart and The Queen’s Man were lowered on Amazon.UK for promotional purposes, it worked, gaining me some new readers. It makes sense; we’re more like to try a new author if we are not asked to pay a lot for that initial gamble. So it occurred to me that this would be a good way to introduce new readers to Priscilla Royal’s books. Priscilla is a friend (and fellow animal lover) who writes very authentic medieval mysteries; she takes her research very seriously and she creates credible characters who reflect the times in which they live. So I suggested to her that we do a book giveaway for her latest, Covenant with Hell. The rules are the same as for my past book giveaways. Anyone who posts a comment (any comment!) on my current blog interview with her is eligible for the drawing and the winner will get a free signed copy from Priscilla. Covenant is selling quite well on Amazon, #43 on its e-book historical mysteries best-seller list the last time I checked. So here’s a chance to find out for yourself why so many of us are Priscilla Royal fans. http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=432

Lament for a Welsh prince

I am sure other events of historical significance occurred on December 11th, but for me, everything else is overshadowed by what happened at twilight on that frigid December day in 1282, the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the great Welsh prince whom the Welsh would remember as “Ein Llyw Olaf,” translated as “Our Last Leader.”

The Reckoning, page 534. Llywelyn has been found by English soldiers who are jubilant upon recognizing him, knowing how richly they’d be rewarded if they could deliver him alive into the English king’s hands.
* * *
Another of the soldiers was coming back. “Here, Martin, put this about him.”
Martin took the blanket. “He’s in a bad way, Fulk,” he murmured, as if Llywelyn ought not to hear. Fulk picked up the lantern, and swore under his breath at the sight of the blood-soaked snow.
“Christ,” he said, and then, to Llywelyn, almost fiercely, “You hold on, hear? We’re going to get you to a doctor, for the king wants you alive!”
Llywelyn gazed up at him, marveling. “Indeed,” he said, “God forbid that I should disoblige the English king by dying.” It was only when he saw that Fulk and Martin were uncomprehending that he realized he’d lapsed into Welsh. But he made no effort to summon back his store of Norman-French. A man ought to die with his own language echoing in his ears.
The English soldiers were discussing his wound in troubled tones. But their voices seemed to be coming now from a distance, growing fainter and fainter until they no longer reached Llywelyn. He heard only the slowing sound of his heartbeat, and he opened his eyes, looked up at the darkening sky.
* * *
I believe I’ve told this story before, for the memory remains very vivid to me even after so many years. I was driving along a mountain road in Wales, thinking about how I would write Llywelyn’s death scene. Such scenes are always challenging, as you’d imagine. Various ideas had come to me, only to be discarded. Suddenly I could hear a voice saying: A man ought to die with his own language echoing in his ears. I don’t really believe Llywelyn whispered his wishes in my ear. I know the voice was in my head. But it seemed so clear, so real, that for just a moment, I wondered….I will give the last word, though, to the Welsh bard, Gruffydd ab yr Ynad Goch, whose haunting lament for his slain prince has the power to tear away time’s veil and share with us the despair, the shock, and the raw pain of Llywelyn’s countrymen: “Ah, God, that the sea would cover the land! What is left us that we should linger?”

The Masters of Rome

I have very good news for my British friends and readers. Head of Zeus, my e-book publisher in the UK is bringing out the first five books of Colleen McCullough’s magnificent Masters of Rome series. The pub date is December 17th. I thought these books about the twilight of the Roman Republic were brilliant and I highly recommend them.

Today's Facebook Note

I hope everyone in the path of that relentless winter storm stayed safe and warm. It had an interesting impact upon yesterday’s football games. (American football to my British and Aussie readers.) My Eagles looked as if they were playing in a blizzard at times, the white uniforms of the Lions looked like camouflage, and we actually heard a ref calling for a halt because “We cannot see the end zone.” (It was probably my imagination that conjured up a polar bear stalking the sidelines just before halftime.) It is a lovely day in Eagles Nation, and also a good day for fans of the Ravens, Saints, San Francisco, Chiefs, Packers, and Broncos, though you Ravens fans are likely still hyperventilating. My sympathies to Vikings fans in general and Stephanie in particular, for your guys lost a heartbreaker.
I am happy to report that Holly is doing much better, and I’ll take her in for more blood work tomorrow, which I hope will show the lipase enzymes levels have gone down. Thank you all for your good wishes and sympathy. A friend of mine lost her beautiful shepherd this weekend when she got out through a gate and was struck by a car, the driver not even bothering to stop, so hug your pets tonight. Hug your kids, too. Hey, hug all the people who matter in your lives, for we never know what horrors lurk down the road, and thank God for that.
More snow on the way, so drive safe. (My friends and readers Down Under can ignore this caution.)

You want to do what in this weather???

December 8th mattered to the Angevins. On this date in 1154, Henry and Eleanor landed in England to claim the crown and begin the Plantagenet dynasty. Henry insisted upon sailing in a savage gale, a very bad habit of his that could not have endeared him to his sailors, courtiers, or his wife. Eleanor must have been especially frustrated when he did this in 1174, for their young children, Joanna and John, sailed with the fleet, and Eleanor, about to begin her long English confinement, had no say in the matter. Henry passed on this insanity gene to son Richard, who attempted to sail from Portsmouth to Barfleur in a storm in May, 1194, so desperate was he to get to Normandy and challenge the French king. The winds were so strong that he was forced to return to Portsmouth, and there he waited for favorable weather, doubtless because Eleanor played the mother card and refused to let him try it again.
Also on December 8th, 1174, the captive Scots King William the Lion was compelled to sign the treaty of Falaise, which was highly favorable to the English. William had no leverage for he was languishing at the time as a captive in one of Henry’s castles. It is always easier to strike a deal with a prisoner, after all.
And Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and bad decisions, was born on this date in 1542.
Also on December 8th in 1941 FDR made his famous “Day of Infamy” speech and declared war upon Japan, the day after the Japanese had launched a stealth attack on Pearl Harbor.
Lastly, Holly is still sick, but she continues to eat, and I am taking heart from that. Stay safe and warm, all of you in the path of this nasty winter weather.

Sunne in Splendour paperback edition

I just discovered that the upcoming paperback edition of the new Sunne in Splendour is now up for pre-ordering on Amazon.co.UK. I don’t think they’ve set a definite date yet, but I believe it is likely to be in March, around the time that A King’s Ransom will be published. Here is the link. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Sunne-Spl... I’ll be curious to see how you all react to the cover. I like it myself.

Interview with Priscilla Royal

My chiropractor has worked his usual magic and I am once again able to pound way at the keyboard. I celebrated by putting up a new blog, discussing Priscilla Royal's new mystery, Covenant with Hell. Here is the link.
http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=432

INTERVIEW WITH PRISCILLA ROYAL

December brings many good things—Christmas, the first snowfall of the winter, a new Priscilla Royal mystery.   Covent with Hell is her latest, set at one of the most celebrated of medieval shrines, and once again I am losing sleep as I steal time each night to re-enter her world.   Most of you know that I am obsessive-compulsive about historical accuracy; I’ve never been able to decide if that is a blessing or a curse. As a result, I am really put off by novels in which the characters could be my next door neighbors; I think of these books as “The Plantagenets in Pasadena.”   But that is never the case with one of Priscilla’s novels.  Her people are firmly rooted in the Middle Ages.  Readers never doubt that they are reading of men and women who live in thirteenth century England, and that is why we read historical novels, after all.  We turn the pages to time-travel.   So I am delighted to announce that Covenant with Hell is now out and I have persuaded Priscilla to stop by to talk about it.

Tell us about Covenant with Hell.

Covenant with Hell contains a hint of Canterbury Tales and a dash of George Smiley. While I was finishing Sanctity of Hate, I watched the two Alec Guinness portrayals of George Smiley, read John le Carre’s books, and fell in love with the character. I had never tried a spy story but knew it must have a firm medieval context. The spy system of the late 13th century was not as sophisticated as it was under Elizabeth I, but every historical era has its secret agents.

As I was prowling through Edward I’s activities in the year after Sanctity of Hate, I found the perfect setting for my story. Walsingham was one of his favorite shrines, and he decided to go there on Palm Sunday of 1277. (Being a practical man, he combined the pilgrimage with a trip to buy 200,000 crossbow bolts for his invasion of Wales.) Fortunately, this famous and very interesting medieval shrine is also close to where I have placed Tyndal Priory.

After The Sanctity of Hate, Prioress Eleanor has been deeply troubled over a rumor that she was found worthy to receive a vision of the Virgin Mary, a story she wishes had not gained credence but fears she might have fostered some way. Her concern led me to suggest that she might fancy a penitential pilgrimage to this lovely shrine. My prioress quickly agreed. What she and Brother Thomas didn’t know is that I planned for them to fall into the midst of an assassination plot against the king and a swarming of spies.

You have said that each of your books presents you with a different challenge. What was it in Covenant with Hell?

I do not want to write “costume dramas”, but I also acknowledge the universal nature of human experience. The more I read, the more I realize that many things we think of as modern enlightenments were found in more ancient times, although the manifestation would have been era-appropriate. The union of the twelve tribes of Israel, albeit under a king, bears resemblance to the union of the thirteen colonies that formed the United States. Athens practiced a form of democracy, and many monasteries elected their own leaders. And if no one in the past ever questioned the accepted beliefs (always called truths in any era), we would never have advanced our knowledge of general science, medicine, or the complex nature of the human creature. So I took a chance and introduced a character whom I believe would have fit into his time but who also resisted convention just a bit with a little quiet courage in the face of his own terror of consequences. To say more would be a spoiler.

What was the most enjoyable part of writing this story?

As is often the case, it is the research. The shrines of Walsingham have a remarkable story, one I have told in more detail in the Author’s Notes. Not only was it a popular medieval pilgrimage site, regularly visited by King Henry III, Edward I, and on a par with Canterbury and Santiago de Compostela, it was also highly favored by King Henry VIII—before he chose to destroy it. It was supposed to be the only place in England where the Virgin Mary appeared in a vision. She came to a local woman in a dream and took her to Nazareth where she showed the woman the house where the Annunciation occurred, then ordered the woman to construct an exact replica in Walsingham. Unlike most shrines, the house was kept simple, although the many gifts received were lavish. In addition, there were wells nearby that remained full, pure, and very cold despite the weather or any drought. These were also believed to be gifts of the Virgin Mary. Perhaps the most miraculous part of the Walsingham story is the fact that it has returned as a significant pilgrimage site. The Holy House has been reconstructed. The wells remain. It is visited by both Catholic and Protestant pilgrims today.

You have written ten books in your series. Do you now feel you have a firm grasp on the craft of writing?

The short answer is no! After I finished the first book, I realized that the second would have its own problems. That one felt even harder to write than the first. I will say that the third wasn’t as terrifying, but I have learned that every book is its own lesson in how to write unless you fall into a pattern. Sometimes I hate myself for making each book a challenge, but I am happier once it is written. Covenant with Hell was my attempt to be so devious about the killer that the herrings, red or otherwise, would be especially fun for readers. Even though I have always wanted to keep the solution secret for as long as possible, I admit that I often get caught up in character development, the question of acceptable justice, and the historical background. None of that is really a bad thing. We all read mysteries for different reasons. But good herrings were the craft lesson for me in this book.

What are you working on next?

Prioress Eleanor has been sufficiently successful as both a manager of priory recourses and a sleuth that she will have gained enemies. In the next book, someone has accused her of an unchaste relationship with Brother Thomas. Since the Order of Fontevraud was under the authority of Rome, the abbess in Anjou, who enjoyed unusual authority over her many daughter houses, would not have wanted any hint of scandal in her Order, one that many already believed to be unnatural because of female leadership over men. She would have sent a trusted priest of high social rank (to match that of Prioress Eleanor) to investigate so that she could assure Rome that innocence had been proven or due punishment ordered. Of course, Prioress Eleanor is innocent of acting on her lust for Brother Thomas, but nothing is ever simple for her. Murder happens. The innocent are accused. Subplots cause her additional angst. I confess that she will be pretty miffed at all I plan to put her through.

How can readers contact you?

Should anyone have questions about my books, they can reach me through my website at www.priscillaroyal.com. And I am one of several mystery writers blogging on The Lady Killers at www.theladykillers.typepad.com.

Thank you so much, Sharon, for inviting me to post on your blog. Not only have you taught me much about research, but your books have long been an inspiration. In fact, I learned something from one of them that gave me an idea for a character in Covenant…

And you are not going to tell me more than that, are you?   You’re getting too good at keeping secrets!   I am about halfway through Covenant and I confess I haven’t a clue who the killer is yet.  There are a few hateful characters I would happily volunteer as other victims for the killer, though.   And there is a very appealing young girl, a street urchin who will touch the hardest heart, reminding us that there were few safety nets for the poor throughout most of history.   Thank you for agreeing to talk about Covenant.  I do sympathize with Eleanor; she yearns only for spiritual peace and you keep dragging her into murder investigations.  But as you say, “Murder happens, and we, the readers, benefit greatly from it.

December 4, 2013